Paste tube key



P 1936- e. B. NEWTON ET AL 2,054,990

PASTE TUBE KEY Filed Jan. 9, 1936 I 3mm 6.13% wZon Gifffldamsarz Patented Sept. 22, 1 936 3 NITED STATES.

PASTE TUBE KEY George"'B. Newton and George H. Adamson, Toledo ohio, assigncrs of one-half to Paul J.

Mandabach, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 9, 1936, Serial No. 58,365

8 Claims.

.This'invention relates to the general class of paste tubes and pertains particularly to an attachment for use in association with such tubes for the purpose of expellingthe contents.

A large variety of creams and ointments are marketed in tubes of soft metal whereby the material may be extracted bycompressing or collapsing the tube at one end.. In a great number of .cases it is desirable that a measured portion of the tube contents be extracted as inthe use of certain ointments where a measured portion of the medicinal contents is required at each application. In other cases, as in the use of shaving creamsand the'like it is desirablefor economical reasons that noomore of the tube contents be removed than is actually needed for the. shaving operation.

' 'The present invention has for its primary object to provide a device for application tocollapsible tubes whereby the contents of the tube may be conveniently expelled and whereby the amount expelled may be measured so that with each use of the paste or ointment in the tube a fixed or known quantity may be employed.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a novel device for the above described purpose which may be easily and quickly attached to a new tube and which may be inexpensively produced so that a new device may be supplied with each tubeinstead of the user having to remove the old tube from the device forapplication to another tube.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device'of the above described character which is. small, as compared with the paste tube, so that its use thereon will not be cumbersome or unhandy and will not interfere with the storing. of anumber of tubes in a cabinet with other medicinal preparations. U

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of'the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that theinvention is notconfined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes ormodifications mark no material departure from'the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a view in perspective of one embodiment of the device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view illustratingthe application of the device to a paste tube.

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of a slightly modified form of the device.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts, the numeral tin-Figs. 1 and 2, indicates the body portion of the device embodying the present invention which'as shown comprises an annular band having the integral axial extensions 2 and 3 on one .edge whichare at diametrically oppositepoints. The band extension has a central aperture 4 therethrough and the extension 3 hasin addition to a central aperture 5 a plurality of apertures 6 arranged in a circle concentric with the aperture 5. These apertures may be in any desired number.

Extending through the apertures 4 and 5 which are in alinement transversely of the annular band i is the legportion of a key member which is indicated as a whole by the numeral 1. This key is here shown as being formed of wire, it being bent intermediate its ends to form the head 8 and the ends are brought into spaced parallel relation to form the two spaced'bar portions 9 of the leg of the key which extends through the apertures 4 and 5, as illustrated.

One of the members Set the key leg terminates short of the other so as to form alterminal extension H) which passes through the aperture 4'. and is turned so as to form a hook member.

to prevent the retraction of the terminal member, thus holding the key in position between the band extensions 2 and 3. The aperture 5' is of slightly greater diameter than the aperture 4 so that the two portions 9 of the key leg may pass therethrough in side-by-side relation.

In the formation of the head 0 oi'the'key, the material is bent to form the fing-er- I l upon the inner side of the key-headand parallel with the leg members 9, and this finger is spacedthe proper distance from the center of the key leg to facilitate its engagement in one of the apertures 6. In the use of the present device the band I is slipped over the closed or bottom end of the paste tube, as'indicated by the numeral I2, and the clip member which is normally employedfor closing the end of the paste tube is passed through the key leg between the portions 9 thereof. It will thus be seen that with the device in this position on the tube the rotation of th-e'key 1 will effect rolling up of the tube about the key leg and. thus, when the. cap :13 of the tube is removed, will effect the expulsion of the tube contents.

The material-of the extensions 2 and 3 of the band may be relatively lightand resilientincharacter so that the finger portion ll of the key: may be normally held in'engagementin one of the apertures 6 and when it is desiredto turn the key the same-may be shifted slightly longitudinally so as to bring the turned portion of the terminus l0 against-the extension 2 and eifect' the. movement'ofi ;the portions 2 and 3 together slightly thus allowingnthetfinger tor-be slippedioutofv'an:

aperture. Thus when the finger has been removed from the aperture as described, the key may be turned until the next adjacent aperture is reached by the finger when the latter will slip into the same and stop the turning operation and by having the apertures 6 properly spaced a known quantity of the contents of the tube may be expelled each time the key is turned to move the finger II from one aperture to the next.

Instead of having the key finger I I held in an aperture 6 by the action of the portions 2 and 3 as described, the key may be made of such a length that it can be freely shifted longitudinally to a certain extent so that when it is moved over to bring the turned end of the terminus 10 into engagement with the extension 2, the finger II will be out of engagement with an aperture and in a position to ride over the outer surface of the band extension 3.

Fig. 1 shows the key in the position where the finger is resting upon the outer surface of the portion 3 so that when the key is rotated in the proper direction it will drop into one of the movement-limiting apertures.

While the structure shown in Fig. 1 has the key formed of wire material, it will be obvious that the same may be made in other ways, and Fig. 3 represents a device in which the key, which is here indicated by the numeral I4, is stamped from flat'or sheet material. In this form of key the leg l5 merely has a' slot l6 cut therein to receivethe end of the paste tube and the integral head I! has at its inner edge the pawl [8 for engagement in the apertures in the band extension l9. At the end of the leg opposite the head ll, a central extension is formed as indicated at 20 which, after it is passed through the aperture or band extension 2| may be swaged to form a head 22 which will prevent its retraction thru the aperture through which it passes.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the device herein described may be easily and quickly applied to any paste tube and by its use a fixed quantity of the tube contents may be removed each time the material within the tube is desired for use. By this means when a medicinal substance is used, it will be possible to use the same quantity each time-so that regulated medication may be obtained.

What is claimed, is:

1. A paste tube attachment of the character described comprising a body adapted to be mounted on a tube to move longitudinally thereon and of a character to occupy in its entirety a circumferential area between the ends of the tube, means carried by the body for engagement with and to effect the winding up of the tube from one end, and means associated with said first means facilitating the measured winding of the tube whereby a measured quantity of the tube contents may be obtained the said body being mounted on the tube to advance thereon ahead of the said winding means.

2. A device for attachment to collapsible paste tubes, comprising a ring-like body adapted to surround and be mounted on the tube for movement longitudinally thereon, and means carried by and trailing the body in its movement on the tube for effecting a step-by-step winding up of the tube from one end whereby a measured quantity of the tube contents may be expelled with each winding step.

3. A device for attachment to collapsible paste tubes, comprising a band adapted to encircle the tube and to slide longitudinally thereon, a key 7 rotatably carried by the band and adapted to en gage the closed end of the tube and to efiect the rolling up of the same for the expulsion of the tube contents, and co-acting means between said band and the key for efiecting a step-by-step rotary movement of the key whereby the expelled contents of the tube may be measured.

4. 'A device of the character described for attachment to collapsible paste tubes, comprising a band adapted to encircle the tube and to slide thereon, a pair of extensions carried by the band at opposite points, a slotted key mounted between and connecting said extensions and having a head at one end, the slot of the key being designed to receive the closed end of the tube, and coacting means between the key head and the adjacent extension whereby a step-by-step rotation of the key is effected. H 7 V 5. A device of the character described for attachment to collapsible paste tubes, comprising a band adapted to encircle the tube and to slide thereon, a pair of extensions carried by the band at opposite points, a slotted key mounted between and connectingsaid extensions and having a head at one end, the slot of the key being designed to receive the closed end of the tube, the said extension adjacent the head of the key being provided with a plurality of apertures arranged concentrically about the aperture in the extension through which the key passes, and a finger member carried by the key head and adapted for selective engagement in said apertures as the key is rotated.

6. In a device of the character described for attachment to a collapsible paste tube, a body designed to be mounted on and carried by the tube, the body being of a character to occupy in its entirety a circumferential area between the ends of the tube, a pair of extensions carried by the body to extend therefrom toward the bottom end of the tube and having the tube disposed therebetween, a key rotatably supported by and between the extensions and formed for engagement with the adjacent tube end to effect the rolling up of the same, and means for securing the key against turning.

'7. In a device of the character described for attachment to a collapsible paste tube, a body designed to be mounted on and carried by the tube, a pair of extensions carriedrby the body to extend therefrom toward the bottom end of the tube and having the tube disposed therebetween, a key rotatably supported by'and between the extensions and formed for engagement with the adjacent tube end to effect the rolling up of the same, said key having a head, a finger on the head, and means for effecting the engagement.

of the finger at a plurality of points with the adjacent extension to secure the key against turning. r

8. Means for effecting the repeated expulsion of like quantities of substance from a collapsible paste tube, comprising a bodythrough which the tube extends and which is movable on the tube, a slotted key rotatably carried by the body between the latter and the bottom end of the tube, and means for facilitating the turning of the key in fixed steps consisting of a means fixed relative to the key and a means movable with the key engaging the fixed means in successive stages.

" GEORGE B. NEWTON.

GEORGE E. ADAMSON. 

